Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to sensor monitoring, data acquisition, instrument control, and storage systems, and more particularly, to a system wherein analog and digital sensors and experiments performed thereby are controlled remotely via a network, and the resulting data is stored within the instrument and can be acquired at one or more remote servers, as well as data stored at the sensors themselves.
Description of the Related Art
There exist systems in the prior art for transferring data files over the internet. In some such systems, the acquired data file is presented on a web page, or transmitted by e-mail. These known systems, however, offer little or no control over experiments being conducted by the known systems. In addition, the prior art illustrates components of a distributed network environment. This known type of system, however, is separated, whereby the web server is separate from control and analysis units. There is a need for integrated control, analysis, and network communication in a central system. There is additionally a need for a system wherein a plurality of the afore-mentioned functions are integrated into one central processing unit, including a web server.
In copending Ser. No. 12/733,518 to the same applicant as herein, which is a national stage filing of PCT/US08/10409 that was filed Sep. 5, 2008, Applicant described sensor and data logging systems for acquiring data from sensors having associated stored parametric and calibration information. In that disclosure, which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference, there was disclosed a microprocessor having a sensor input for receiving data from a sensor, a memory access port for communicating with a memory system, and an output port for issuing data. A plurality of sensors were also disclosed, each producing associated sensor signals responsive to respective characteristics of an environment, the sensor signals being propagated to a sensor input of a microprocessor. There was additionally disclosed a memory system coupled to a memory access port of the microprocessor for storing calibration data associated with the plurality of sensors. Additionally, a communications arrangement was disclosed as coupled to the output port of the microprocessor. This now known arrangement did not disclose a system of controlling sensors or instruments from a remote location, or the use of the world wide web via an internet browser to effect such control.
It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a sensor/instrument control system that can perform integrated control, analysis, and network communication in a central system.
It is another object of this invention to provide a sensor/instrument control system wherein integrated control, analysis, and network communication can be performed selectably in a central processing unit and in a web server.
It is also an object of this invention to provide a multi-sensor arrangement that will enable control over a variety of sensor parameters and functions, wherein the sensors are any combination of analog or digital devices.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a remote sensor control system that enables monitoring of the sensors over a network.
It is additionally an object of this invention to provide a remote electrochemistry sensor control system that enables monitoring of the sensors over the world wide web.
It is yet a further object of this invention to provide a sensor/instrument control system that permits real-time data streaming from the instrument to any server.
It is also another object of this invention to provide a sensor/instrument control system that permits real-time data storage from the instrument to any server.
It is yet an additional object of this invention to provide an integrated instrument world wide web control system that enables instrument control, sensor calibration, and data collection of raw data or calibrated data from on-board storage over an integrated networking facility.
It is still another object of this invention to provide a remote sensor/instrument control system that enables monitoring of the sensors and analytical instruments over a network.
It is a yet further object of this invention to provide a remote electrochemistry sensor control system having a spectroscopy sensor control system that enables monitoring of the spectroscopy sensors over the world wide web.
It is a yet further object of this invention to provide a remote chromatography control system.
It is also a further object of this invention to provide an integrated data collection system with web serving capability, from remote sensors.
It is additionally another object of this invention to provide data collection from remote instruments.
A still further object of this invention is to provide control of sensors from a remote web based computer.
An additional object of this invention is to provide remotely accessible data storage on board of an instrument.
It is a yet further object of this invention to provide control of new smart sensors.
It is also a further object of this invention to provide deposition of calibration tables for that sensor in the sensor electronics itself, rendering it to be smart.
It is additionally another object of this invention to provide access to a smart sensor from the web.
A still further object of this invention is to provide set point and limits (high and low) for every sensor that can communicate via the web or email.
An additional object of this invention is to provide alerts of sensor irregularities recorded by the sensor/instrument electronics to be communicated automatically via the web or email.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide multiple sensors or instruments that are controllable simultaneously.